


Ace, Where's the Baby?

by hiimCynth (HiImCynth)



Series: And They Were Roommates [5]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Ace has a sleep disorder that I made up, Ace is insecure what else is new, Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Artemis is a good sister, Babies, Babysitting, Breaking Up & Making Up, F/F, Good for them, Insecurity, M/M, Marco and Ace have a baby, Men Crying, Portgas D. Ace is a Good Father, but then i actually looked it up and it's a symptom of narcolepsy so, its a very baby-centric fic, pregnancy announcement, they didn't really break up but i think it still fits, this was supposed to be fluffy i honestly dk how this happened
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:08:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24730570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiImCynth/pseuds/hiimCynth
Summary: “Ace,” Marco asked, leaning down to look at Ace as he blinked his eyes open. “Where’s the baby?”“What are you talking about? She's right-” Ace looked down at his arm which had been cradling their daughter when he went to sleep. “Shit, where’s the baby?”(Or, Marco accidentally pokes at Ace's insecurities and makes him cry. Artemis helps them make up.)
Relationships: Artemis/Nefertari Vivi, Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco/Portgas D. Ace, Nefertari Vivi/Original Female Character(s)
Series: And They Were Roommates [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1788178
Kudos: 11





	Ace, Where's the Baby?

“Ace?” Marco asked, leaning down to look at Ace as he blinked his eyes open. “Where’s the baby?”

“What are you talking about? She's right-” Ace looked down at his arm which had been cradling their daughter when he went to sleep. “Shit, where’s the baby?” He panicked, looking around the room frantically in search of her little form. 

Marco sighed, standing tall again and looking down at his husband. “Relax, your sister has her. She was crying when Arty stopped by and  _ you _ ,” he said accusingly, toeing Ace’s leg, “were sleeping.”

Ace sighed in relief, grateful Luna was safe. Then he realized Marco would probably kick his ass for falling asleep when he was supposed to be watching the baby. “I’m sorry Marco, I didn’t mean to fall asleep, I swear. It’s just, she was asleep and I hadn’t slept last night either and I was really tired and-” Ace hung his head, prepared for his scolding. “I’m sorry Marco.”

“Don’t apologize to me, go apologize to your sister. She’s been taking care of Luna for three hours. It’s supposed to be her day off, not her day to babysit while you power nap.”

Ace winced at the amount of time (had he really been asleep that long? If his back pain was anything to go by, yes.) and slowly stood up to go next door and apologize to -and thank- Artemis. 

Marco stopped him with a hand wrapped around his wrist. “Hold on, c’mere,” he said as he tugged Ace’s arm toward him. Ace turned, half-expecting to be scolded again for something (did he leave the stove on again?) but was wrapped in a hug instead. “Ace, if you needed to sleep you should have just told me.”

“But you had work today!” Ace protested. 

“I could have called out today. Pops would have understood.”

“You called out three times last week. All  _ I _ ever do is sleep. I should be able to take care of Luna no problem.”

“Ace, she’s a baby. Raising a baby is hard. Everyone needs to take breaks sometimes.”

“Marco she’s our fucking daughter. I should be doing something nice for her, taking her to the park or to see Pops or buying her things, I shouldn’t be falling asleep and letting my  _ sister _ take care of her. You do enough for us already, I can’t just make you call off work because I need a nap.”

Marco sighed and shook his head. “I wish you’d take care of yourself more.”

“Oh, that’s rich coming from Mr. lives-on-coffee-and-spite-and-hasn’t-slept-well-in-two-weeks.”

Marco seemed like he was getting a little fed up but Ace couldn’t bring himself to care. “I do not live on  _ spite _ . And I eat. Most of the time.” 

“Most of the time is not enough! You can’t live on breakfast bars and 3 cups of coffee every morning! You need to eat a healthy meal every once in a while.” 

“Thatch brings lunch to the office sometimes.”

“Okay, fine, you eat a good lunch occasionally. That doesn’t change the fact that you need more sleep than you get! You can’t live on coffee and Red Bull Marco, it’s not healthy.”

“Well, maybe I wouldn’t need to drink so much coffee if you ever actually woke up when someone needed you!”

Ace knew, he  _ knew _ that it wasn’t his fault he couldn’t wake up. He knew Marco knew it too, knew it when they started dating, knew it when they got married, knew it when they adopted Luna. Ace knew he couldn’t help it, but it hurt every time he woke up in the morning and Marco looked tired, hurt every time someone poked fun at his odd sleeping habits, and he knew Marco knew it hurt too. “Well, I’m sorry I’m not the perfect trophy husband you wanted. If you’re that upset about it, you can find someone to take my place. I’ll be at Em’s.” Ace turned on his heel and walked down the stairs and out the front door. He managed to make it to his sister’s house and knock on the front door before he broke down. She answered moments later, Luna cradled against her hip but one look at Ace’s broken face had her calling for Vivi to take the baby and ushering Ace inside. 

Vivi met the pair in the living room where she gently took the giggling baby, oblivious to her father’s mood, and went upstairs to play with the child. Artemis sat her brother down on the couch and held him close to her chest until his sobs turned to sniffles. 

“What happened after I left?” Artemis asked softly, moving to lay down with Ace’s head resting on her chest.

“I-I don’t remember exactly but I think I got mad first and then he got mad back and he,” Ace paused, the words caught around the lump in his throat. “He said that maybe he’d be sleeping better if I ever woke up when he needed me and,” Ace stopped again but this time he let out a sob and the tears were flowing freely again. 

Artemis ran her hands through his hair the same way Makino did to them when they were kids and they cried over petty little arguments. “It’s okay Ace, it’s okay,” she muttered, shushing him gently. 

“No it isn’t, Em, I did that thing I always do when I’m really upset and I tell people to find someone else. I told him,” Ace’s breath caught at the memory and he nearly sobbed again. “I told him if he was that upset about it he could find someone to take my place. Em, I told him to fucking replace me!”

Artemis shushed him again, carding her hands through his hair once more. “I’m sure he’s not gonna replace you because you got in a little fight. He loves you.”

“But-”

“No ‘but’s Ace. He loves you. He’s not gonna turn around and find someone else just because you got a little mad.”

Ace sniffled again, burying his head in her chest. “I love you,” he mumbled. 

“I love you too Ace,” she replied, kissing the top of his head and resuming carding her fingers through his hair. 

A few minutes later, someone knocked on the front door and Vivi came out of the bedroom at the top of the stairs carrying a sleeping Luna in her arms. She glanced over the railing and Artemis looked back up at her, an apologetic smile on her face. As Vivi flounced down the steps careful not to disrupt the bundle in her arms she heard another knock at the door. 

“Vivi,” Artemis whispered from her spot on the couch. Vivi looked over to her and saw a hand beckoning her towards the couch. She followed obediently despite the knocking on the door. “Give me the baby, I have a feeling I know who’s at the door and he’s not gonna be quiet.”

Vivi laid the sleeping child on Artemis’s chest next to her father. The scene was cute, Ace and Luna sleeping on Artemis’s chest and Artemis staring down at them lovingly. Vivi almost took out her phone to get a picture but another knock on the door interrupted her musings. 

She hurried to the door and sure enough, Marco was standing there not being quiet at all. “Is Ace here?” he demanded. Vivi put a finger to her lips to quiet him. 

“He’s asleep with Luna on the couch. Arty’s watching them,” Vivi whispered. 

Marco breathed a sigh of relief. Ace had said he’d come here but that didn’t mean he’d come straight here and Marco wasn’t really in the mood to go looking for him. “Can I see them?” 

“Only if you promise to be quiet.”

Marco readily agreed, anything to see the loves of his life. He followed Vivi down the hallway and into the living room and the scene made his heart melt. Ace was sandwiched between the back of the couch and Artemis’s body and had his head laid on her chest while Luna was peacefully taking up the other half of Artemis’s torso. Artemis had one arm around Luna to prevent her from falling off and the other arm was around Ace, scratching his back gently. 

Artemis’s face, however, was turned toward Marco and if looks could kill, he’d be chopped to bits by now. “Marco,” she said curtly. 

“Listen, Arty, I’m sorry you had to take Luna-”

“No, I’m not upset about that. Vivi and I love taking care of Luna. What  _ I’m _ upset about is what happened after I left.” She glared at him.

Marco flinched. He’d hoped Ace had fallen asleep before he got to tell her anything that had happened. He should have known he wouldn’t get that lucky. “Arty, I’m sorry about what I said, I didn’t mean it, I promise. I know I hurt him today and I didn’t mean to-”

“Just because you didn’t mean to doesn’t mean you didn’t. And it doesn’t mean everything’s okay. I know sometimes people say things in the heat of the moment but you need to take responsibility for your actions, Marco.”

Ace stirred and Artemis tightened her hold on the baby while stilling the hand she had on Ace’s back. He settled back down with his arms wrapped around Artemis’s torso and his legs tangled with hers and a mumble of ‘Marco’ on his lips. Artemis scratched his back lightly and kissed his head softly before turning back to Marco. 

“You made him cry, Marco. My big brother cried like he was ten-years-old again because of  _ you _ .” 

That surprised Marco. Ace didn’t cry often, not out of sadness anyway. When he was crying it was usually because he was happy or frustrated, not because he was sad. Ace hadn’t cried like that in… Marco didn’t know how long. “He cried?”

“He thought you were gonna leave him, Marco. He was understandably upset.”

“Wha- But I would never-”

“ _ I _ know that and  _ you _ know that but  _ he _ doesn’t know that. The one thing you know he can’t control and you shoved it in his face and basically said you hate it and you hate him for it. I should hit you for even thinking of saying that, Marco.”

A groggy voice from beside her turned her head. “Em?”

“Hey, shhh, go back to sleep. I’m taking care of things okay?”

“No, I heard you say ‘Marco’,” Ace rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “Why’s he here?”

“He came to see you. He can leave if you want, we were just talking.”

“No.” Ace sat up and jostled Artemis and the baby on his way. She hissed at him for it but he ignored her. “‘S fine. I gotta talk to him anyway.” Ace stood up from the couch, dropping a kiss on both Artemis and Luna’s foreheads as he walked to the kitchen, not noticing Marco sitting on the chair across from the couch. "When was the last time she ate?"

"I fed her when I picked her up, so like, 3 and a half hours ago." 

Ace hummed from the kitchen and went about making a bottle. 

Artemis sat up, being careful not to jostle the baby too much. She tickled Luna's feet lightly to wake her. As the baby opened her eyes, Artemis glanced over her shoulder to see how far Ace had gotten with the bottle before looking back at Luna and speaking softly to her to keep her awake. Ace came into the living room, handing her the bottle and Artemis sat back to feed the baby. Ace sat beside her and laid his head on her shoulder, staring at his daughter and smiling sadly. 

"Ace, sweetheart, I know you probably forgot but Marco's here for you," Artemis said, dropping a kiss to his head. 

"Hmm?" Ace hummed, taking a few moments to register what she had said. "Oh shit, Marco." He sat up, eyes blown wide, and looked around the room. When his eyes finally landed on the blond man, Marco gave a little wave. 

“Hi, Ace.”

“Hi, Marco. What’re you doing here?”

“I came to talk to you. I wanted to apologize for what I said earlier.”

“No need to apologize, I know I basically make you do everything around the house because I can’t do anything myself.”

Artemis looked like she wanted to interrupt but Marco spoke first. “No, Ace, I  _ do _ need to apologize. I should never have said that to you. I know you’re doing your best, I know you’re trying, and I don’t appreciate that enough.”

“Marco, you do far more than I do, there’s really no reason for you to-”

“Ace. You were just worried about me. I overreacted. I’ve been stressed lately because of a project I’m working on as well as some other stuff and none of that is your fault. I should never have taken my frustrations out on you. I’m sorry. I hope you can forgive me, even if it’s not right now. Take as much time as you-” Marco cut himself off with a grunt as Ace crashed into him. 

Ace wrapped his arms around his husband’s shoulders, burying his face into the blond’s neck. “I thought you were gonna leave,” he said through his tears - relieved, not upset. “I thought you’d finally gotten tired of me and then I pushed you away and I thought-”

“Hey,” Marco cut him off, wrapping his arms around Ace’s waist. “I’m not gonna get tired of you, okay? I love you. I’m never gonna leave you. You’re everything I could ever want and more.”

Ace laughed quietly. “Now you’re just making shit up.” 

“It’s the truth, Ace. I love you and I’ll love you for as long as you’ll have me, and I’ll probably love you even longer than that. You and Luna, you’re everything to me. I wouldn’t give you guys up for the world.”

“You spoil us,” Ace said, burying his face in Marco’s neck. 

“Of course I spoil you, I love you.” 

“I also spoil you guys,” Artemis added, reminding the couple she was still there. “Not only am I feeding your daughter when you’re both  _ right there _ but I basically resolved this whole thing.” 

Ace laughed, sitting up and turning to her. “Thank you, Em. I love you.” 

“Love you too Ace. I’m glad you’re alright. Go run home, Vivi and I can babysit tonight. Get some rest, you both need it.”

Ace and Marco stood up, both making their way over to where Artemis was sitting on the couch. Ace dropped a kiss on Artemis’s forehead and then Luna’s, Marco following close behind him.    
  


“Thank you Artemis,” Marco said. 

“Of course, what else am I here for. Now get out of here you crazy kids, before I change my mind,” she replied, precariously balancing the bottle under her chin and shooing the pair with her hand. 

They walked out the door and Vivi came back to the living room from wherever she had run off to while the argument was being resolved. 

“We’re babysitting tonight,” Artemis told her, tilting her face upward, no longer balancing the bottle with her chin. 

Vivi understood and gave Artemis a chaste kiss. “You spoil them too much.”

“He’s my big brother, what do you want from me? If we get Luna to sleep tonight, I can spoil you too.”

“Mmm, I’d like that,” Vivi replied, kissing her again. 

“I knew you would,” Artemis smiled and chased her lips. 

* * *

“Finally,” Artemis said, walking into their bedroom and shutting the door quietly. She placed the baby monitor on the nightstand, before laying in bed next to Vivi. She kissed the bluenette a few times, holding her face and smiling at her. She rolled on top of her and Vivi wrapped her arms around Artemis’s shoulders, kissing her again. Just as she was about to kiss her wife once more, a loud cry could be heard from the nightstand. Artemis dropped her head to Vivi’s chest as the bluenette laughed. “I swear to god we are never having kids.”

Artemis got up, leaving the room to go get the crying baby and soothe her. She walked back in, giving up on leaving Luna alone for the night, and sat down on the bed, resting her back against Vivi’s chest with the baby in her arms. 

Vivi wrapped her arms around Artemis’s waist and rested her head on the blond’s shoulder. “So, about that never having kids thing,” she began. 

“I wasn’t serious about that, if you’re worried. I’d love to have kids with you.” Artemis leaned back and kissed Vivi’s cheek. 

“Great because I kinda might be pregnant.” 

Artemis turned to look at her. “Vivi, baby, darling, please tell me you’re not fucking with me right now.”

“Surprise!”

“Babe, what the fuck is wrong with you? Why the fuck would you tell me that when I’m holding a baby? I can’t properly hug you now.” Artemis got up quickly, placing the now sleeping baby in her crib in the other room and rushing back into her own bedroom. She nearly attacked Vivi, picking her up and spinning her around, placing her back on the bed gently and kissing all over her face before kissing her abdomen as well. “Vivi, I love you so much, so so much, princess.” Artemis started crying and she wiped her tears away as she moved to kiss the bluenette again. “We’re gonna be moms. Vivi, we’re gonna be parents. Oh my god, baby, you’re gonna be the best mom, I just know it.”

Vivi laughed softly. “Not as good as you, you’re so good with Luna, I already know you’re gonna be a wonderful mom.”

“Who else knows?” Artemis asked, moving Vivi to sit in her lap and wrapping her arms around her middle.

“So far I’ve only told you. And Luna I suppose, but I wanted you to be the first to know.” 

Artemis smiled and kissed Vivi’s cheek. “Thank you for telling me. I love you.” 

Vivi turned and kissed Artemis’s cheek as well. “I love you too.” 

Artemis laid down, dragging Vivi with her. “It’s bedtime, princess. Can we tell Ace and Marco in the morning or do you wanna wait?” Artemis kissed Vivi’s forehead. 

“We can tell them if you want. I don’t care who gets told when beyond you.” 

“Okay. If Luna wakes up tonight, wake me up. You need rest. I’ll take care of her.” 

“Thank you,” Vivi said, kissing Artemis’s jaw. 

“Of course, princess.” Artemis laughed quietly. “I can’t believe it. We’re gonna be moms.” 

Vivi looked up at her. “Yeah, we are.”


End file.
